Hair Loss/Bald Spot - Front Hairline

QUESTION: Hello Dr. Panagotacos. I've attached 2 pics of my current hairline (which in the ONE spot has dramatically thinned in the last 3 months--nothing on the other side). ALways had a very distinct even full widow peak. Can you help explain why i'm losing hair in that one spot only and it keeps getting worse by the weeks (hair is easily falling out there often if i brush it). Can anything help repair that without causing more harm or thinning? A dermatologist prescribed me Propecia but I have not started it yet. Will that help you think? I feel hopeless

ANSWER: This appears to be early onset male pattern baldness. Inherited male pattern baldness does not have set patterns despite the various charts referring to Type I or Type Vi.
Having an irregular frontal hairline is quite common.
Your doctor gave you the right medicine for stopping the progress of male pattern baldness- it will stop it in 85% of men and there is a good chance you will see increased density in 6 months. I would also recommend Romaine Foam twice a day to the area but Propecia is the best treatment. Romaine will help bring back recently lost hair.

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QUESTION: Thank you. Does the Rogaine foam or liquid work better for frontal thinning? Also, everyone says (including on the box) that a big shed results from where you apply it--i'm worried about losing more hair in that spot if i apply it there, and what if those lost are gone forever? I feel that is already getting larger by the week. Thank you.

AnswerRogaine stimulates hair to grow wherever you apply it. You need it in your frontal hair line. I have not seen the shed you say you hear about from everyone. I have been using and prescribing minoxidil solutions since 1979. This is 9 years before Romaine come to market.
My advice is to ignore the comments about a shed in the first month.
If you read Chapter 2 of my book http://www.hairdoc.com/book/Chapter_02_hair_loss_answers.pdf
you will see that hairs grow for aobut 5 years at 1/2 inch per month when they suddenly decide to stop growing and go into the Catagen Phase and then the Telogen Phase which takes about 4 to 6 weeks before the hairs fall out.

What many men do when they get concerned about the onset of male pattern baldness is they get fixated on their loss and whatever was going on that triggered the Telogen Eeffluvium which caused the sudden acceleration of the male pattern baldness is the cause of the loss two or three weeks after starting therapy with Rogaine or Propecia.
You can not blame the loss the past in the first 4 weeks on Minoxidil. The hairs you will see fall out in the first month of Minoxidil use are hairs which stopped growing before you even used minoxidil. The hairs that stop growing today will fall out 4 to 6 weeks from now.
A lot of doctors probably get tired of explaining the growth cycle and how the loss in the first month to six weeks has NOTHING to do with the use of minoxidil or Propecia. If it was due to the medication it would fall out 3 months after starting the treatment.

Expertise

I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.

Experience

I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.
More information can be found at my website
www.hairdoc.com